You and Me, Against the World
by TheHobbitKatniss
Summary: This is the story of how Peeta and Katniss grew back together with each other after the Revolution. Throughout the story, you'll see the development of Katniss as their family grows.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my very first fanfic, I hope you all enjoy! I have been writing for a long time and decided that perhaps I should try to write fanfiction. Most days, I'm on here just reading everybody else's and now it's my time. Thanks for listening, and as always, some R&R would be much appreciated. **

**Since Suzanne Collins didn't write exactly how Katniss and Peeta moved on after the revolution in Mockingjay, I will write my own rendition of it. Obviously, I do NOT own The Hunger Games, I am just using the epilogue and the rest is my ideas.**

**You and Me, Against the World **

**Prologue**

_They play in the Meadow. The dancing girl with the dark hair and blue eyes. The boy with blond curls and gray eyes, struggling to keep up with her on his chubby toddler legs. It took five, ten, fifteen years for me to agree. But Peeta wanted them so badly. When I first felt her stirring inside of me, I was consumed with a terror that felt as old as life itself. Only the joy of holding her in my arms could tame it. Carrying him was a little easier, but not much. The questions are just beginning. The arenas have been completely destroyed, the memorials built, there are no more Hunger Games. But they teach about them at school, and the girl knows we played a role in them. The boy will know in a few years. How can I tell them about that world without frightening them to death?_

Since the Revolution, my duties as the Mockingjay have been revoked, and I gave the rights away gladly. Once I made the choice that was correct for me, murdering President Elma Coin, and was exiled to District 12, I realized deep in my heart that I would have returned there regardless. Though the buildings were all rebuilt brand new, and the coal mines have been shut down completely, you can still feel the...spirits of all the people of the district who never made it through the bombings of the Capitol.

At first, there were very few of the original District 12 population who were brave enough to come back. Prim's death was a fresh wound when I first returned, and it practically paralyzed me. During that period of time, I would not even get out of bed to eat; Until one day, a bizarre smell wafted through the bedroom, interrupting my moment of self-loathing. For a minute, I couldn't place what could possibly be making that smell, but then I remembered mornings when Father was still alive and Mother still had that joyful twinkle in her eyes, Father would get up at the crack of dawn to go to the Hob and trade two squirrels for a package of bacon. Bacon? Why on Earth would that smell be in MY house. Tiptoeing down the stairs to follow the mouthwatering smell, I finally found where the odor was coming from.

"Good morning, Katniss," greeted Pine, Greasy Sae's grand daughter, in a cheerful voice that only children who hadn't gone through the Hunger Games could have. She was all of twelve, with the stature of a nine year old, golden ringlets that brushed her shoulders anytime she moved, and plump red lips that all the boys will be crazy for when she's older. At the stove, Pine was currently flipping the slices of pork over in an unfamiliar pan.

"Oh, um, good morning," I managed to say through my confusion.

Greasy Sae was sipping rich, black coffee out of her mug, and as if almost sensing my apprehension, simply gestured to the chair across from her at the oak table.

After that morning, those two fed me everyday at eight in the morning and twelve hours later. I felt as if they were only doing it because they were being paid by the Capitol, but somehow, over the months, they convinced me that they were only trying to be kind to me.

Eventually, I learned to do these things by myself and was later joined by Peeta Mellark. The boy with the bread. The situations that we were forced to endure made me finally choose between Peeta or Gale, my old hunting partner. Once I found that Gale's bomb was the one that killed Prim, I knew that there was no going back. Peeta and I were more alike; there were times where he still had his episodes from the trackerjacker venom and there were many nights where I still was awoken by nightmares of the Arena. I would always find the right words to bring Peeta back to reality and he comforted me when the waves of terror would ripple through me. We grew together. I had to admit, I didn't exactly see it coming when Peeta brough me to the Meadow and got down on one knee. At first, I was hesitant about my answer, until he opened the little black box and I saw the pearl that he had given me during the Quarter Quell had been made into a ring, surrounded by leaves carved out of silver. That was when I knew.

"Yes, Peeta, I'll marry you." I barely had enough time to get the words out of my mouth before his arms wound their way around my waist and his soft lips crashed against mine.

For months, Peeta and I had been immersed in wedding plans with Effie Trinket, our old escort. When we asked her to help us, she had squealed in delight and immediately took the next train to District 12. "Katniss, wake up, it's time for your big, big, big day!" Unfortunately, I forgot that she was also highly annoying sometimes. Stretching my arms above my head slightly, I remembered that Peeta had not been able to sleep with me last night. Effie had said that it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride twenty four hours before the wedding. I slowly stood and walked downstairs in hopes that I would have enough time to at least make a cup of coffee. No such luck. Before I even reached the bottom step of the stairs, I was taken off guard by a bombardment of "Oh my goodness, Katniss, did you sleep at all last night?" and "Look at those nails! We're going to have so much work to do". My old prep team! I ran to hug Flavius, Octavia and Venia, for I hadn't seen them in over three years.

Though I was not used to the pampering of the Capitol anymore, it still felt wonderful to have my prep team to make me up for my wedding rather than for the Hunger Games. Sitting on the high stool that they had set up in my bathroom, I closed my eyes as they worked on me. Curling my waist long black hair and pinning it on the top of my head, filing and polishing my nails that I had neglected, applying just a tiny bit of concealer and cover up on my under eye circles and sliding an eyeliner pencil over my lid.

"Ok, Katniss, open your eyes," Venia whispered, in terror or in awe, I hadn't the slightest clue. For the past few hours, I had allowed myself to drift in and out of sleep, so that I could not peek at their work. But I followed her instructions and immediately, I gasped. In the floor length mirror, I saw a woman, but I could actually tell it was me. My hair was perfectly pinned with the veil tucked up underneath, and my gray eyes were eccentuated by the liner and framed gently by my long lashes; my nails were perfect little ovals, polished white with tiny pearls at the tops, but the real reason for my shock was the dress. On the hanger, the dress had appeared too frilly, too fancy, but now that I was in it, it was puffed at the bottom and little pearls made a curve V-shape in the front, with the train flowing out just a few inches on the ground. Octavia and Flavius burst into tears, smearing their own makeup down their faces.

"Thank you so much, you guys. This is amazing," I commented lightly, and made eye contact with them all, before taking Octavia's hand in my own.

"Honey, we were honored that you asked us," Flavius said nonchalantly, wiping the remaining tears off his cheek. Octavia nodded vigorously, "yes, and just look at you," she whispered, gesturing at me.

The bathroom door opened and in walked Effie and Haymitch. Upon seeing me, Effie shrieked and hugged me, while Haymitch's eyes were appraising me.

"Oh, Katniss, you look incredible!" Effie gushed, patting my shoulder, "doesn't she, Haymitch?" Somewhere in his mind, he must have heard her, because he seemed to come back to reality and said, "well, well, sweetheart, look at you". It wasn't exactly a compliment with the tone of his voice, but with Haymitch, I knew that it was how sweet he could get. My lips curve upwards into a loppy smile before I made my way to him to hug him. He hugged me back for a moment and whispered in my ear, "you look beautiful, sweetheart. You ready to go?"

I didn't have anybody else in mind to walk me down the aisle, everybody I cared about was dead, so I asked Haymitch one day when he was on one of his two week drinking binges. Though I live across the road from him, I hadn't seen him since then, which was ten months ago. Apparently, he must have sobered up, because his beard was trimmed nicely and his body didn't stink with the white liquor it usually did. He sobered up for my wedding, that was the nicest thing he could've done.

I nodded and took a deep break, putting my arm through his. Effie, Octavia, Delly, Venia and Flavius went before us as my bridesmaids and one of Peeta's groomsmen, along with Thom, Darius, and Carter. Once the music flowing from the piano change to my cue, I knew that I was ready. Haymitch and I began our walk down the aisle and I gazed at the audience. My mother was in the front row with her new husband, Rog, Johanna Mason was next to her giving me her best scowl, Annie and her son, Finn, were watching me with awe-filled eyes, and most of the other people of the district. At the white flower gazebo, stood the new mayor, Jon Sapp, and my Peeta. His black suit highlighted his blond curls, and his blue eyes were filled with tears.

Our walk of the aisle was over and Haymitch kissed me on the forehead and placed my hand in Peeta's. The vows were traditional and very familiar to me, as I had Effie to help me practice reading them. Peeta's large hands held my small, calloused hands as we gazed deep into each other's eyes. Though I knew Mayor Sapp was speaking, I couldn't hear him. My heart was thumping too hard in my chest.

"Do you, Peeta, take Katniss to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do".

"And do you, Katniss, take Peeta to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

My eyes watered for a fraction of a second and Peeta's hands squeezed mine gently, just the tiniest bit, before I looked his directly in the eye and uttered the words that would bine us together always, "I do".


	2. Chapter 2

**How did everyone like the prologue? I thought that it wasn't too bad being my first bit of fan fiction. **

**Well, here is the first chapter! I hope everybody enjoys. Once again, a little R&R wouldn't be so bad. (; **

**-TheHobbitKatniss**

**Chapter One: Countless**

It's been fifteen years since that day, yet Peeta and I are still as happy as we were then as we are now. "God damnit, Peeta! For the last time, no!" Well...for the most part.

"Katniss, please? I understand that you're afraid, but everything will be alright, I promise," Peeta's calm voice soothed.

"No! I don't want children, I never have. Aren't you happy with just me?" I tried to reason with him. Sighing, Peeta nodded and hung his head in defeat. At first I thought that perhaps it was just a ruse and he was attempting to make me feel guilty, but somewhere inside my head, I knew that he was right. The Hunger Games were completely over and had been over for a considerable amount of time, and District 12 had never been better in all of its days, but I was too frightened to have children.

"Alright, I'm sorry that I asked. You are all I need," Peeta said, waking me out of my silent reverie. My mind was too overwhelmed to notice that he had ducked to kiss me on the forehead and made it out the door to head to the bakery. The new bakery was a warm place that the citizens all used a meeting place with it's shiny new brick structure and ginormous window showing the shelves of all of the wonderful treats. Suddenly, something in my heart twisted and I knew that I had to talk to somebody, anybody.

Haymitch had quit drinking recently and hasn't been too pleasant, but I had no other choice. Though I expected to have to plug my nostrils once I entered, nothing rotten or filthy met my nose. The house was actually clean, almost terrifying to me, I sought out Haymitch. In the living room, there he was lounging calmly on his new blue sofa, carefully sipping a cup of coffee.

Before I had enough time to turn around, I heard, "what do you need, sweetheart?" My back was to him, I knew that he couldn't see my grief filled face, but I still buried it in my hands. Some time later, a pair of arms found their way around me and led me to the couch. A sob I didn't know was lodged in my throat came out in a soft gasp, and Haymitch asked, "Katniss, what's wrong?" Suddenly I realized that I didn't want to talk about this, but knew that I had to.

"Peeta wants a baby," I muttered almost unintelligibly. He coughed, "what? What was that?"

Groaning into my hands, I said, "Peeta wants a baby". I didn't expect what came next. Haymitch, the person who can always give an answer in the blink of an eye in his cocky voice, was absolutely silent. He inched closer to me, put his hand on mine, and was deep in thought. Finally, meeting his eyes with mine, Haymitch replied, "well, I don't see why that would be so bad, minus the lack of sleep and raging hormones. All jokes aside, Katniss, the games are over with. Give it a chance, perhaps you'll find that you enjoy a family like he will. You practically raised your sister, you can raise a child".

You know, maybe, just maybe, he could be right. The only reason I never wanted children was because of the games, but I never thought of them after the games were done. My brow furrowed in thought and then I had made my decision: Peeta and I were going to have a child.

"Thank you, Haymitch. You have a point," I admitted, finally letting out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding in. Spreading his hands in a gesture that said "well, duh", I hugged him and took off to the bakery to tell Peeta my choice had changed.

Through the huge window, I could see him at the counter helping a young mother and her toddler. The toddler boy was pointing at the little cookies in the glass display case and looking at his mother expectantly. It appeared that the woman didn't have enough money to pay for the delicacies, and Peeta noticed. He grabbed a take out bag, put three cookies inside of it, and handed it to the boy, free of charge. When the woman told Peeta that she didn't have the money for it, he shook his head and waved them away. She thanked him gratefully and the boy gave Peeta a wide gap-tooth smile, before they were on their way.

It was my chance, I walked in and the bell above the door rang. Ding ding. Peeta was busying himself with the register, and I took that opportunity to sneak up on him. Suddenly, he gazed up in surprise, "Baby, hi! I didn't know you were coming down today". My shoulders shrugged delicately and I kissed him lightly on the mouth.

"Peeta, I want a baby," I whispered against his lips. Jumping back, he tried to disguise his happiness with confusion, but I could see the excitement in his blue eyes. "Are you sure, Katniss?" he asked, his mouth curving upwards just the tiniest bit. Not trusting my voice, I nodded. He brought his lips to mine again and we both accepted my choice. We were going to have a baby.


	3. Chapter 3

**I have to admit, I was quite surprised when you guys started favoriting my story. Usually, I see new stories get shot down almost immediately. That means progress. Thank you so much, everybody! It means a lot to me. 3**

**I'm trying to figure out how long I want this story to be and I think this one is going to be maybe twenty to twenty something chapters. I want it to actually be detailed and figured maybe people would enjoy that. Btw, this story will mention sex, but I don't believe in writing anything too graphic. Let's leave that to porno writers, eh? Just a fair warning, I wouldn't even really rate it T, minus swearing.**

**Alright, on with the chapter!**

**Chapter 2: The Heat**

Every second, it seemed as if I couldn't get enough of Peeta. Once we made our decision, immediately, we rushed home to begin trying. There were times where I would pounce on Peeta while he was baking the cheese buns that we had in the morning, or that he would sneak up on me while I was gathering herbs in the garden.

"Do you think we've done it yet?" I asked Peeta one day while he was preparing dinner. At the sink, he was peeling potatos expertly and my question made him freeze.

"Katniss, honey, we've only been trying for a week. These things take time," he stated matter-of-factly. His voice construed no emotions whatsoever, but his eyes were looking into mine as if he was just as impatient as I was. Then he continued peeling, and I observed the tight muscles of his arms curl as he worked. It was almost fascinating and suddenly, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Peeta, right here," I demanded, beginning to pull his baby blue shirt over his head. Embracing me easily, he happily obliged to my command, pressing his lips against mine passionately. In a matter of seconds, our clothes were long gone and I felt that fire in the pit of my stomach. Against my throat, his mouth peppered sweet kisses and Peeta fit his body with mine.

Next Month...

The days were blistering hot, too hot for my usual trip to the woods in the mornings anymore. As if remembering a responsibility, I knew that I had to check up on Haymitch to make sure that he was at least alive. It had been awhile since I had seen him last; The last time was when I talked to him about Peeta's request.

Peeta's side of the bed was empty, but that was normal. At six in the morning, he always headed out to the bakery. Slowly, I showered in cold water and dressed in a red shirt and black trousers, braiding my hair into its usual braid. Downstairs in the kitchen, a plate of cheese buns along with a note sat on the counter.

_Kat-_

_I thought that you might be hungry for these when you woke up. Can't wait to see you later. _

_ Love, Peeta_

Smiling, I chewed a bun as I strolled out the door to head over to Haymitch's. Surprisingly, I didn't have to even walk inside. There he was actually tending to the geese he had, looking a little...different. His hair and beard were trimmed, his clothes unwrinkled and fresh, and his face was happy. Truly happy. A smile I had never before seen in all of the time that I had known him. A smile that the Games stole from him.

"Haymitch, hi!" I greeted cheerfully, walking over to him. Turning around in shock, his smile widened.

"Well, hey, sweetheart. Long time, no see," his voice was missing its usual sarcastic tone. Something was up, I thought.

Using my eyes to leer at him sideways, I commented suspiciously, "don't you look happy". As if noticing my mood, Haymitch chuckled slightly and rubbed his neck nervously. Okay, something was definately up.

"Heh, I might've found a lady friend," he admitted, not meeting my eyes. Oh! That's why he's changed his demeanor so drastically.

"Who in the world would that be?" I pressed him, desperate to find out who could force him to stop his drinking. My stomach churned strangely, but I tried to ignore it.

Haymitch was quiet for a moment and finally replied, "Effie". Effie as in Effie Trinket? I was convinced those two absolutely detested each other. Suddenly, I couldn't think anymore. My stomach twisted painfully and I ran into his house and reached the bathroom just as I lost the cheese buns I had eaten that morning. My hair was being held back somehow and a hand smoothed gentle circles onto my back. Once it was out, I dry heaved until the nauseating feeling was completely gone. Thought my skin was damp and there was a sick taste in my mouth, I immediately felt better.

"Are you ok, sweetheart?" Haymitch's voice came from behind me, as he let go of my hair, but continued rubbing my back. Not trusting my voice to be steady yet, I nodded my head. Grunting with the weight of my body, he picked me up in his arms and sat me down on the blue couch in his living room.

"Do you need some water? It might help," he asked, his voice concerned.

"Yes, thanks," my voice was still quivering. I breathed deeply through my nose, so as to not taste my mouth. Coming back almost instantly, Haymitch handed me a tall glass of ice cold water. Chugging it, I felt miles better than I had a few minutes ago. That was odd.

"Are you sick?" he questioned. Setting the cup down on the coffee table, I shook my head no.

Looking flabbergasted, Haymitch whispered, "are you pregnant?" Wait a minute. I was taken back to a memory of when my mother was pregnant with Prim. Before her belly grew, she was always sick, yet not sick at the same time. I put my face in my hands.

Realizing the situation, Haymitch mumbled something and embraced me.

"What did you say?" I asked, curiosity taking the best of me.

"I said, I'm going to be a grandpa!" he exclaimed, his Seam gray eyes shining in anticipation. "This is the greatest day of my life". Grinning a watery grin, I couldn't help but feel the same way as him. Then a thought hit me, how on Earth will I tell Peeta?

"Have you told the boy?" Haymitch asked, gripping my hands.

Groaning, I told him that I hadn't yet.

"Go, do it now! You have no idea how happy he will be".

For once, he was right. After thanking Haymitch, I began my trek to the bakery, feeling an odd sense of deja vu. Oh right, I had just done this a month ago.

Not even pausing once, I found Peeta kneading out some dough in the back room. The rest of the employees were taking over the register today. As if sensing my presence, he turned around. I could tell that he was ecstatic about seeing me, so I threw my arms around him.

"Hey Kat, what are you doing here?" Peeta asked, still tangled in my arms.

Breathing quickly, I blurted out, "I'm pregnant!"

The room went completely silent for half a second before I was in the air, spinning in circles. Peeta had picked me up and was practically dancing with joy.

"Are you sure? How did you find out?" he spouted, running his flour covered hands over my hips. Recounting my story to him, Peeta just nodded knowingly, before informing, "that's one of the very first signs. We'll have to go to the doctors' just to be positive."

Though his voice was calming, I was also terrified. A baby was growing inside of me. What if I couldn't be a good mother? This child counts on me to take care of it every single day. But I kept my qualms to myself, I would never want to ruin Peeta's happiness.

"Mr. and Mrs. Mellark!" a short, stubby, nurse clad in blue scrubs called our names from the waiting room. I would never say it, but the hospital always reminded me of the Games, with its Capitol inventions and special machines.

Following the nurse down the hall, we finally ended up at room 215. Gasping quietly, I saw that the walls of this room were painted in the replica of a forest. It helped to calm me.

"Katniss, are you ok with this?" Peeta asked nervously.

"Of course, I'm fine," I wasn't even lying anymore. The forest walls steadied me, I could nearly taste the clean brisk air and hear the crunch of the leaves beneath my feet.

The door opened and a tall male doctor approached us. His chesnut brown hair flowed in gentle waves to his shoulders and his green eyes were friendly.

"Good morning, I'm Doctor Roberts," he greeted nicely, shaking both of our hands.

"How have you been feeling?" the man asked me, looking instead of at my eyes, at his checklist. Wow, he might not be some Capitol fool after all.

"The usual. Morning sickness, exhaustion, sore and swollen breasts," I answered to the best of my ability, not skipping anything. Doctor Roberts appeared to nod as if that were all completely normal, and prescribed me with some morning sickness medication, along with prenatal vitamins. Coming over to the table, he laid me down and gently pushed on my stomach with his hands for a minute.

"Ok, Katniss. I'm going to have to ask you to take off your trousers and lay on the table for me," Doctor Roberts commanded.

In a flash, I had stepped modestly out of my trousers and panties and laid back down. Peeta and I stared deep into each other's eyes while the doctor poked and prodded down there.

"Your cervix looks perfect, now let's move on," Doctor Roberts stated, pulling out a strange device attached to a monitor.

"What is that?" I asked, my voice cold and hard. Both Peeta and the doctor laughed, which made me more afraid.

"Kat, it's an ultrasound machine. It's used to see the baby when it's still inside you. They can't use the regular one right now because you aren't far enough along," Peeta informed, smoothing my hair down. I still had no idea what that meant, but if he wasn't afraid, then I shouldn't be either. To avoid being embarassed of what was going on down there, I stared at the monitor and suddenly, an image appeared on it.

"Whoa, Doc, what's that blob?" I cried.

Smiling wide, Doctor Roberts murmured softly, "That's your baby, Katniss. You're at about 7 weeks now". Fat tears ran down Peeta's cheeks and then I felt wetness beneath my own eyes. I hadn't even realized that I had been crying.

"Would you like a picture?" he questioned in a whisper, and Peeta and I nodded our heads vigorously. Pressing a series of buttons on his machine, Doctor Roberts soon shed a small black and white picture of the baby for us.

"Thank you again, Doctor. We'll see you again in a few weeks!" Peeta chimed in the hallway. In his left hand, was the packet of all the information and medicine that we would need, and his right hand was shaking Doctor Roberts.

"Absolutely. Now, Katniss, I forgot to mention. It's totally great for you to walk in the woods, but seriously limit how much stress you put upon your body. Better to be safe, than sorry," he said seriously. As if it were the most obvious thing in the world, I simply nodded my head and we were on our way.

For awhile, our journey was carried out in comfortable silence. A silence that was ok to think in. During my long thought process, a question came to mind that was actually suddenly extremely important.

"Peeta? When can we begin telling people?" my voice quavered the slightest bit, but I hoped he didn't notice. He didn't. Gazing at the sky for a minute while stroking his light beard, he finally said, "Whenever you want to, Kat. It's pretty early, so nobody will be able to tell for awhile".

"Ok, although Haymitch already knows," I informed him snarkily. "You should have seen his face". From deep within his belly, Peeta chuckled, "Has he even seen a baby?" That got both of us cracking up, before we were finally at our home.

A bath sounded absolutely tempting, I thought. The warm water ran like a waterfall from the faucet until the large tub was full to the brim. Dizzy by the intoxicating smell of my passionfruit bubblebath, it was time for relaxation after the long day.

Once I had dried and dressed into comfier clothes, I searched for Peeta. It wasn't difficult to find him, he was in the living room putting a picture into a frame. Then I realized what he was doing. It was the ultrasound picture we had received today. My eyes filled suddenly with tears. Peeta turned around, and laughed, "Oh, Katniss, what's wrong, honey?"

"No, I'm fine. That was the most perfect idea," I giggled lightly. It made this more real. He wrapped his arms around me and we stared at the picture.


	4. Chapter 4

**So, with this story getting more popular everyday, I'm just sort of wondering what everybody thinks of it. The review I received earlier today was quite demanding, so, here is the next installment of You and Me, Against the World. **

**Next, I was thinking for my next story that I do something involving The Mortal Instruments. Let me know if you have any ideas! Enjoy everybody (: **

**Chapter Three: Love sick**

The clock on the bedroom wall reported 3:00 AM. Something had awoken me out of my pleasant slumber, but I couldn't immediately tell what. Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead, plastering strands of my dark hair to my face. Other than the uncomfortable temperature, everything appeared normal. Peeta was fast asleep with his arms circling me comfortably, snoring away like always. What was wrong?

Suddenly, like at Haymitch's, my stomach twisted disturbingly and I shot out of my husband's grasp, not even caring if I woke him up. The nauseating feeling forced its way to my mouth and I emptied myself into the toilet intensely. Light footfalls came from behind me, but I wasn't done yet. Peeta's hands gripped my hair back while I continuously retched. I knew this was supposed to happen, but sobs still made their way out of my throat.

"Oh, Kat," his angelic voice murmured, pulling me into his hold strongly. Again though, once I had thrown up, instantly I felt much better. We sat like that for quite some time, but I made the first move to get up. The taste left after the sick was revolting, and I absolutely had to wash out my mouth.

"I'm sorry, Peeta," I whispered once I was cradled in his arms in our bed. A light chuckle came from behind me, shaking the bed the tiniest bit.

"Honey, it's normal. I would much rather be there with you than sleep selfishly," he announced, stroking my soft waves. The darkness came easier than it usually did and I was out before we could say another word.

I was 9 weeks along now, and nobody knew yet. Peeta and I had agreed to keep it a secret for now, but I could see in his face that he didn't want to. Though the Games were over, I was still afraid that somebody or something would hurt our baby, whether it be Gale or the Capitol. Gale Hawthorne, my ex best friend. He murdered my little sister during the Revolution with his and Beetee's bombs. At first, when Gale demanded that it was an accident that Prim was in front of Snow's mansion exactly when I was, I accepted it. I understood. I still couldn't look him in the eyes anymore, but at least I understood. We parted on a good note.

Five years after the overthrow of the Capitol, Gale came to District 12. Not to visit his mother, Hazelle, or his siblings, but to find me. Peeta had been at the bakery working, and I was alone in the house. Something felt wrong that day, but I couldn't figure out what it was, until the knocking at the door. Cautious to make no sound, I peered through the peephole on the front door. Gale.

My stomach lurched, almost as if I had been punched in the gut. So, I ignored the knocking, until it turned into slamming. Loud bangs against the door that echoed throughout the entire house.

"Katniss, open the goddamn door!" his booming voice shouted forcefully. Never in all the years that I have known Gale had he ever talked this way to me. Instinctively, I hid in the panic room that Peeta had installed in the basement that was undetectable from outside. The walls were soundproofed and cameras were installed secretly throughout the home. Years supply of food and water were hidden in here, along with other necessities, in case of a situation such a this.

Breaking me out of my reverie was the sound of the front door being slammed down, and thudding footsteps upstairs. I could hear furniture being thrown around and glass objects being broken intentionally. Pressing the power button on the camera system, I observed Gale and four other men, all clad in black uniforms, destroying my house, possibly in search of me.

"Katnip, come out, come out, wherever you are. I won't hurt you. However, Peeta, I might hurt. I heard all the rumors that you had been married to him, but I didn't believe it. Not until I watched him leave the house this morning on his way somewhere," Gale yelled monstrously. What the hell was he talking about? Why on Earth would that bother him now?

"You never though I would get over you, did you? I was just giving you time to get over your sister's death until I proposed," he laughed, looking at a framed picture of Peeta and crushing it under his foot. Suddenly, a drunken Haymitch tiptoed behind Gale and held out a sword before swinging it into his back.

Did it kill him, you may ask. Well, no, it didn't. But thankfully, Haymitch had heard the ruckous and invited over half of the districts' men to investigate. All of them, except for Gale, were executed pubicly. Gale, he somehow escaped before they could get to him. Where he is now? We have no idea.

The idea of that creep touching my child or Peeta at all terrified me more than anything. If anybody tells him, I don't know if I'd get as lucky as I did last time. Point being why I was so hesitant to tell anybody. I loved this baby already, nobody would ever get the chance to hurt it. I shook my head feriously to rid myself of the dreadful memory, and chose to leave the house so that I wouldn't have to be alone with my betraying mind. I haven't seen Delly and Thom in some time, perhaps they would be up for a visit, I thought

Knock knock. Outside of Thom and Delly's squat cottage, my knees quavered with the desperate need to sit, but I waited patiently. Creaking open the door, Delly squealed at the sight of me and ambushed me in a hug. Okay, maybe it'd been longer than I thought since I had visited.

"Hey Dell, how've you been?" I asked conversationally. A part of me regretted not telling her about the pregnancy, but I had my reasons.

"Well," at this, Thom walked behind Delly and wrapped his arm around her waist. "We have some news, actually".

Raising an eyebrow skeptically, I suddenly became all too curious. The news wasn't anything I was expecting, that's for sure.

"Thom just got offered a job at Peeta's bakery! One of their workers moved on to District 2, so Peeta stopped by here early this morning and said that Thom could start tomorrow," Delly gushed, and I couldn't exactly blame her. The workers at the bakery were so well treated and well paid that they almost never quit and were never fired. The fact that Peeta was so genuinely kind to our friends put a giant grin on my face.

"Oh my god, that's so wonderful!" I exclaimed happily.

"Yes, you know how he's hated working in the mines for the past few years. And I have to admit, it gets a little tiring having to scrub the house of soot everyday," Delly stated, yet still having that look of pure excitement in her eyes.

"Thankfully, the boys get the weekends off now though or else it'd be even worse. Think about before," I joked, even though we both knew that I mostly just thinking of my father. Thom's father had also been killed in that accident, and little did I know that our fathers were best friends since they were children. Somehow, we both understood what it felt like to grieve, so we just tried to always make light of it with a joke.

The rest of the visit went by pretty smoothly, the three of us sat in their cozy sitting room and drank herbal tea while catching up. When their clock struck six, I knew that Peeta would be home soon and that I should be there when he arrives or else he worried.

"Well, Dell, I'll visit again soon. I have to go," I parted ruefully, bringing my friend in for an embrace.

"You're always welcome in our home, Katniss," she kissed my forehead gently, before I departed.

Casting long shadows on the cobblestone road in the Victors' Village, the sun was beginning to grow a little lower. Intoxicating my nostrils when I stepped inside was the smell of a rabbit stew with carrot and celery, one of my favorites. Creeping behind Peeta cautiously, I dragged my fingertips down his neck slowly, sending shivers down his spine and goosebumps on his skin.

"Hey! Katniss!" he joked, playfully pulling me into his arms. Unfortunately, Peeta could barely hold me because I was laughing so hard. It was too easy to sneak up on him and I did it constantly.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," I heard the smile in my voice, and together we laughed even harder. These were the types of moments I lived for, that we fought for and that we deserved.

"So honey, what did you do today?" Peeta curiously questioned, stirring the broth.

"Visited Delly and Thom. That was so nice of you to give Thom a job," I murmured admirably. He simply shrugged as if it were no big of deal, but it was extreme generosity.

"It was the right thing to do. You know I hate seeing people have to go to the mines," he answered, grasping my hand in his. Then that's when I knew, that's when I knew that having a baby would only make our love stronger than it could ever be right now. And I was ready for it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the delay everybody, but here is the new chapter. I'm beginning to work on my other stories, so be prepared for that. Once again, I have many ideas involved with various fandoms; such as Inuyasha, Pokemon, Hunger Games, The Mortal Instruments, Hush Hush, Fallen, etc etc. Let me know what your preference is and I might just write a story dedicated to you! **

**Now, back to the story!**

**Chapter Four: Everlasting**

"Peeta, I look fat," I complained for not the first time that day. In the mirror, I could just barely notice my baby bump, but suddenly I was growing out of my clothes and I had to admit, it unnerved me quite a bit. For years, I had kept up my fit figure and was definately not used to the extra weight.

Arms encircled my waist from behind: Peeta. "Katniss, you look gorgeous. The bump is our baby, remember?" It took all of my nerve not to slap him, but I still rolled my eyes for good measure.

"It's making me fat though," my voice appeared grumbled, even to me, which in turn made a series of giggles burst through my lips. These damn hormones will be the death of me, I swear it. One minute I could be happy as can be and the next I can be throwing plates at Peeta's head or crying my eyes out. It was a lot to get used to in such little time.

"Whatever, you still look beautiful to me. Are you hungry?" Peeta teased, and my stomach growled hungrily in response. His eyebrows raised and I quickly nodded, the thought of cheese buns driving me nearly insane.

Instantly, when Peeta put the plate full of cheese buns in front of my seat, I began to scarf them down, hunger taking over my body. From across the table, my husband coughed expectantly and I realized that I had eaten the entire plate. "You going to save some for me, love?" Self-consciously, I looked down at my bump with tears growing in my eyes. I cursed when they began to dribble down my face.

"Hey, hey, honey, don't cry, it's ok, I was only kidding," Peeta soothed, stroking my hair lovingly. So it was true, I was getting fat. Sobs wracked my body that I couldn't control, heavy, sorrowful, tears dripping down my cheeks. His fingers swiped them away before they met my chin, "You are eating for two, Katniss. It's ok for you to eat more than you usually do. The baby needs more nutrients than just you".

Never once saying it aloud, I still felt as if I were eating a little too much, even if it was for the baby and for myself. If I didn't quit, soon I would be the size of a whale and that would be too much for me to bare. Kissing my forehead once more, Peeta walked out the door to go to work. Another long day at the bakery and I was stuck at home by myself the entire time. Not today. Today I would treat myself, I hadn't been hunting in days and now I had the opportunity.

Clothed in my father's old hunting jacket and my leather boots that were worn with age, I journeyed through the meadow to the woods. The yellow primroses were in full bloom and my mind was brought back to memories of a blonde braid and a shirttail hanging out. Gotta get out of here, I thought to myself. The moment my boots hit the forest floor of crinkled leaves and broken twigs, all worries vanished. Finally, an aura of peace surrounded me as I crouched behind a tree to aim my bow at an oblivious squirrel. My arrow lodged itself in the squirrel's eye once I let go of the string of the bow. Bliss.

Two hours, three squirrels, five rabbits, and one doe later, I was lounging beside the cool lake, allowing the sounds of the woods to calm me. My kills were already cleaned, skinned and in my bag, ready for cooking, and I had more time to relax. Trekking down a familiar path, I reached a strong oak tree that I had always enjoyed climbing. The limbs were large enough to hold hundreds of pounds and the leaves on the branches could camoflauge you. Ten feet up the tree, I reached my hand for the next highest branch and slipped.

Gravity took over and I landed harshly on my side, petrifying screams rocketing out of my mouth. The baby, the baby, the baby. What if this had killed my baby? A cramp came from within my belly that curled my toes, confirming my fears. Tears spilled down my face and I continued shouting for help, though I knew nobody would hear me from here. I was too deep within the forest, miles away from any sort of civilization. Helplessness took over me and I could hardly stand to move whatsoever. Splotches of black covered my sight, coming with a dizzying sense of vertigo.

All I saw approaching me was a spot of yellow, that didn't seem to belong in the forest, and a pair of hands reaching towards me. As the blackness tore at me more and more, my ears barely picked up any sounds other than "Oh god, Katniss". I couldn't give up, I needed to be here for Peeta and my baby. I had to be strong, but my will was wavering. Blackness was calming and didn't hurt as much, while in reality, my abdomen was cramping painfully. Staying awake was like I was holding a boulder up on my shoulders, and I really just wished to give in.

No. I can't give up. I just can't. But I couldn't make sense of what was real anymore, none of my senses were working correctly, and my body felt limp. Sweeping over me like a sheet, the darkness took over, throwing away any ounce of willpower I had left.

Beep. Beep. Beep

Faintly, I heard the buzz of fluroescent lighting and the constant beep of a monitor, along with something else that didn't belong. Someone around me sniffed quietly. Dully, my eyes fluttered open and I took in the room I was being held captive in. A normal hospital room, probably Doctor Roberts' I noted. In the corner of the room, Peeta slumped in an uncomfortable looking chair with his head in his hands.

"Peeta," I croaked feebly. Practically bouncing out of his chair, he rushed to grasp my cold hands. "Katniss, you're finally awake. I was so worried about you". The planes of his face appeared more angular than usual, and purple circles ringed his red rimmed eyes. Tracing my thumb along his cheekbone, I whispered, "how long have I been out?" A solemn look passed Peeta's face, I knew deep down that I wasn't going to like the answer. "You've been unconscious for three days, honey. Haymitch found you screaming in the woods and carried you all the way here, then called me".

Wait a second. Haymitch? "Peeta, what are you talking about?" Noticing my confusion, Peeta stated, "When you fell out of that tree, Haymitch found you sprawled out on the ground, crying out in pain. If it weren't for him, you and the baby might not still be here". Oh, Haymitch. Overwhelmed by this news, I quickly changed the subject, afraid that I might burst into tears if we continued talking about it. "Wait, so the baby's ok?"

Relief shown in his eyes, Peeta nodded vigorously, "yes, Doctor Roberts worked fast enough to stop the bleeding and no damage was done. Our little baby's a real fighter". I recognized with awe the love that he already had for our unborn child. He would be the best father. A knock interrupted before I could respond; Haymitch stepped in the room sheepishly, a concerned look on his face. Peeta kissed my forehead and nodded at Haymitch before leaving the two of us alone.

"Thank you so much. It means the world to me what you did," I murmured, really truly touched that he carried me ten miles to the hospital. Ducking his head with a blush upon his cheeks, "It was my pleasure, sweetheart. I knew I had to take care of you two," Haymitch replied, gesturing at my little bump. Though I had already known that he had been excited to become a "grandpa", I didn't know that Haymitch actually cared about the baby and I.

"When I brought you in, they made me stay in the waiting room. I fought with the nurses, but they wouldn't let me through. They told me that the baby's ok, they weren't lying, were they?" Haymitch said quietly. Shaking my head violently, I gently rubbed my belly. "No, they were honest. My baby's alright, Peeta said it's a little fighter," I smiled wholeheartedly. A chuckle came from him, when he commented sarcastically, "just like its mother". That made both of us join in a laugh, a real laugh that I hadn't felt in days, that made me gasp for breath at the end.

"I mean it though, thank you," I stated tenderly, gripping his arm. Wrapping me in for a light hug, Haymitch whispered, "it was my pleasure, sweetheart, my pleasure". My eyelids were beginning to grow heavy, I could feel the pressure of sleeplessness taking over. With my slight yawn, he began backing away to the door slowly, but I was out before it even shut.

When I got out of the hospital the next day, Peeta was given my prescription for a medicine that would keep the bleeding under control. Under strict directions by Doctor Roberts, I was to stay on bed rest for a week until the bleeding was completely stopped, and I wasn't in any hurry to get up. That little adventure of mine had landed me and my baby in a world of hurt and I would never put us in jeopardy again. Peeta took some time off of work to help take care of me, and I was thankful. If it had been me alone at home, I knew that I would most likely go stir crazy, but he knew how to keep me entertained. Some days we would sit in our bed and watch movies together, staying cozied up under the covers, other times we would play cards or Peeta would draw pictures of me.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hiya, people! It's been a few days since an update, I'm sorry, just trying to enjoy summer while it lasts. I'm updating as soon as I can. Ok, I'm working on a The Mortal Instruments story at the moment while still updating this one. Hope everybody's enjoying it so far, and that I hear the kind of reviews I've been receiving. Thank you everyone (:**

**Chapter Six: Boy or Girl?**

As I lay in the warmth of the covers, I breathed in Peeta's pure scent deeply and smiled carelessly. Today would be a good day, I could feel it from my toes to my head. Impatiently, my stomach growled, causing a fit of giggles to spill from my mouth. "Sorry, baby, you must be hungry". The clock read eight o'clock, Peeta had already been gone for two hours, so it was my turn to prepare breakfast. Not a huge deal, I could bake.

Padding downstairs in my bare feet, I thought to myself, how on earth does Peeta bake cheese buns? Unfortunately, the recipe was a family recipe passed down from generation to generation and would most definitely not be in any of the various cookbooks we had stored. Guess I'd have to wing it. Bending to reach the large mixing bowl from the bottom cabinet, I poured cheese that I had shredded and mixed in flour and eggs. There that should do it. I set the over timer for twenty minutes, and sat on top of the counter to wait.

"Baby?" Peeta's voice boomed in to the kitchen. Wasn't he supposed to be working? Just as he stepped around the corner into the kitchen, the fire alarm started beeping disturbingly. Rushing to the oven, he threw on an oven mitt and retrieved the bowl from inside and turned the oven off. Almost immediately, the incessant beeping ceased. "Honey, were you...trying to bake?" Peeta put his hand over his mouth to stifle his giggles. A crease formed above my eyes, I thought I had gotten it right. Suddenly, he was doubled over in never ending giggles and I couldn't help but join him.

"What did I do wrong?" I asked, curiosity finally taking advantage of me. A serious look crossed his face, "well, you set the oven for 450 degrees when it's supposed to be at 325. It's supposed to be put into a pan, and you also need to add yeast, milk and sugar. We'll start baking together if you want to." Nodding vigorously, a thought came to mind, "wait a minute, why are you home?"

"Ah, you don't remember. I figured you wouldn't. You have a doctor's appointment today, Katniss. I've been at Haymitch's," he explained with a twinkle in his blue eyes. Confusion hit me before anything, I truly couldn't remember that we had scheduled an appointment for today. Peeta laid his hands on my growing belly, "we get to find out the gender, baby. Aren't you excited?" Then my heart skipped a beat, and I remembered.

"Let's go, Peeta!" I exclaimed, basking in the sudden glow of our excitement.

This felt like deja vu. Peeta and I were gathered in Doctor Roberts' forest room, awaiting the doctor himself impatiently. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the door to the room swung open and in walked Doctor Roberts with a gleam in his eye. Clapping his hands together, he asked excitedly, "who's ready to see the baby?" The look upon our faces must've given our answer, because the doctor chuckled to himself and brought the monitor closer to the bed.

Brr, once that slimy blue gel hit my abdomen, I cringed. Damn, was that cold! Both Peeta and the doctor laughed at my sour expression, which made me scrunch my face up more. Rather than the strange device that Doctor Roberts used the last appointment, in his hand was a wand that he ran over my belly for a few moments before the baby's image appeared on the screen. Oh, its wee little hands and feet were visible. Moisture clouded my eyes suddenly and the image went out of focus. I wiped the tears from my cheeks, eager to gaze at my unborn child some more. Peeta had vocally awe'd, which was so _Peeta _of him that I nearly giggled.

"So...would you like to know the sex?" Doctor Roberts questioned, glancing sideways at us. The question basically took me off guard, "excuse me? What is that supposed to mean?" Before bursting into uncontrollable fits of laughter, Peeta shouted, "Katniss, he means do we want to know the gender". Well, didn't I feel foolish? Instead of scowling at the two of them, I just joined their chuckles, hilarious that I could actually have made such a mistake.

"Yes, yes, we'd like to know," I replied, light heartedly but firmly. Peeta's hand gripped mine hard, we'd both been looking forward to this moment for weeks and we were pretty much bursting from the seams with anticipation. Doctor Roberts looked from Peeta to me, "you two are having a little..."

What? What are we having damnit?

"Girl".

My world have just fallen completely apart. Damp, weak cardboard pieces of my life transformed into diamond jewels. A girl. I couldn't wrap my head around it, it was the most perfect word I'd ever heard in all of my life. We were having a girl. Wrapping me snugly into his arms, Peeta and I wept openly, large happy tears that cleansed our souls of any pain the games ever let into our lives.

Perfect health is all I heard Doctor Roberts say the rest of the appointment. My heart soared out of my chest and felt as if a massive weight had been lifted from my shoulders. All this time I'd been so worried that I'd done something wrong to jeopardize the baby again and it'd terrified me. I hardly left the house anymore, much less go into the woods alone. It was too risky and I wouldn't take that challenge. Instead, every Tuesday morning, Haymitch would accompany me on a stroll through a worn path in the forest, which suited us both even better.

I was actually rather surprised with Haymitch lately, he seemed so...different, as if he was actually truly excited for the baby coming. Every opportunity to take care of me, he took. Every chance he got to talk to the baby or rub my belly, he did. This was unlike him, but I actually enjoyed it. Though Peeta was absolutely amazing with the baby and myself, Haymitch filled that empty grandparent void better than anybody can and we were honored.

"Hey, sweetheart, how'd the appointment go?" he asked the next afternoon. During this time, my feet were in his rough, calloused hands being massaged as gently as humanly possible; For that I was eternally grateful, my feet were constantly swollen and sore. Rubbing my belly, I dreamily answered, "we found out what we're having". This sparked some curiosity in Haymitch, his entire face lit up in fascination. "We're having a little girl".

I could sense Haymitch was having the same reverie that I had the previous day. Suddenly, his face was at my swollen stomach and I felt his lips brush the skin lightly, whispering so low I could hardly hear him, "grandpa is so excited to meet you. You're going to be beautiful and strong, like your mother. We're going to have the greatest time together, I quit my bad ways to be there for your parents and now for you. I love you, little girl". Mind blown, I had not the slightest idea what to say, I had never once heard Haymitch be so tender before, not even to the geese he took care of.

"Haymitch, are you going soft on me now?" I teased lightly. A serious look appeared on his face, and I knew that I had crossed the line. Plopping next to me on the couch, he began to speak in a low, deep voice.

"Katniss, before the games, I had everything you could imagine. A family, a sweetheart, and so many friends I could hardly keep track of them. When I pulled that stunt in the arena, President Snow sent out hit men here to kidnap my parents, my little sister, my sweet Sage, and all of my friends. The last I heard, they had all been tortured to death in the Capitol. That's when my mentoring began, along with my drinking. I had so much anger inside of me, so much hate. I always imagined that my sweetheart and I would grow up together and someday have a family of our own, we even talked of it at times. Before you and Peeta came along, I absolutely despised the idea of children anymore, anything to do with love. It was too painful for me. But as I mentored you in both games, and watched the two of you grow, I realized that I had to move on sometime. Everyone who died would have wanted my happiness and my health to live on, so I quit my drinking, so that I could truly be there for the two of you, well, three of you".

The entire speech had moved me to tears, I was speechless. Embracing me, Haymitch whispered into my hair that it would be alright now, and he was right, everything would be alright.


End file.
